Can suicide be prevented?

Some time ago, I received an informative email from Sbrana Psychiatrist Hospital superintendent, Dr Mpho Thula, about World Suicide Prevention Day, which is commemorated on September 10. Before then, I had given suicide little thought. It was only when I went through the official statistics that I realised that it is an issue that needs urgent interventions. Dr Thula decried that Botswana needs a national suicide strategy that would deal with the escalating suicide crisis in the country.  He noted that suicide had reached crisis proportions, to the extent that the number of people who committed suicide surpassed those who died from murder and wars combined.

The reality that suicide was more prevalent than I imagined suddenly sank in.  To be honest, I have lost count of the number of people I know and have heard of who tragically ended their own lives. I could not believe how oblivious we are over suicide. It also hit me that 90 percent of these people are youth. I thought: what drives a brilliant, young and beautiful person to take their own life?